Education can pull kids out of poverty

Sachin Maharaj demonstrates a logical analysis and solution for how the educational system can help pull children out of poverty. As a former inner-city student in downtown Toronto with our conditioned reflexive aversion to reading, I had to wait until Grade 13 at Jarvis Collegiate Institute to be motivated to read by an energized, dedicated English teacher whose obvious love for his subject was contagious. Duncan Green, who passed away last year, used to say with a sparkle in his eye, “I don’t care if you just read the labels on cereal boxes as long as you read.” Maharaj is right that we need “the best teachers teaching our neediest students.”

The best teachers are not necessarily the most credentialed ones. I had other English teachers with MAs, but they failed to motivate those of us who weren’t motivated at home. The best, like Duncan Green, are too soon moved out of the classroom. Merit pay, in some form needs to brought in, no matter the opposition or administrative hurdles. The socio-economically disadvantaged will benefit. And, society will benefit by the increase in educated human capital.

Gordon J. Chong, Toronto

Upon seeing the title of Sachin Maharaj’s op-ed piece, my first reaction was, “Sure, blame the schools and expect them to solve yet another humungous problem.” But after reading it, I agreed with his central message: giving all children educational opportunities is the surest way to break the cycle of poverty.

Indeed, requiring students to attend local, disadvantaged/advantaged schools, streaming them into collegiate/business/tech schools, or sending them to denominational/private/boutique schools actually deprives them of the opportunity to learn in a fully integrated public system, where dedicated teachers can draw the best from every single one of them.

The bottom line is that any form of segregation leads to a segregated society. If we want to live in a truly inclusive and just society, we need to prepare the way for it by letting children learn from one another in diverse settings. Classrooms need to be populated by students of every ethnicity, level of ability and, indeed, any form of disability. Empathy and collaboration are critical life-skills in our increasingly diverse society.

Salvatore (Sal) Amenta, Stouffville

Sachin Maharaj, an educational administrator and assistant curriculum leader, is one of many educrats who offer all kinds of advice to help students living in poverty, while undermining their teachers for not “being effective.” Maharaj states that only “above average” teachers can help students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Should he address the root causes of poverty and students’ deficiencies in food, clothing and housing? Yes, he should but he won’t. Our sink or swim government policies, greedy banks, cheap corporations and employment crisis all get a free ride. It’s far easier to just blame the teachers.